GOP hopefuls spar in Wheeling

WHEELING -- All six Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in West Virginia say they support the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and some say mental health issues are most often to blame for gun-related deaths.

The Senate GOP hopefuls took the stage Monday night for a debate at Wheeling Jesuit University's Troy Hall. Sponsored by The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, the debate hosted former Massey Coal CEO Don Blankenship; laid-off coal miner Bo Copley; U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins; State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey; Weirton truck driver Jack Newbrough; and Martinsburg attorney Tom Willis.

Candidates answered questions about their individual weaknesses, the national debt, entitlements, opioid addiction and if they disagreed with President Donald Trump on any issue.

But the talk became most spirited when they addressed the gun control issue and recent school shootings.

"What has been happening in recent months has really been an American travesty," said Morrisey. "Far too many people have been subject to violence, but the answer is not control. The answer is to take a comprehensive look at what is happening in our schools."

Morrisey said the nation needs to be more aggressive in identifying the underlying problems leading to shootings in school, and that, as senator, he would oppose gun-control measures.

"I'm carrying right now," said Newbrough. "When the Second Amendment comes up, I believe in it 100 percent. I don't carry for my own personal use. I carry for everybody in here. You never know what might happen.

"I always believe a good guy holding a gun will beat a bad guy with a gun," he said.

Newbrough said he believes mental health issues are the principal cause behind school shootings and should be the focus of efforts.

Willis -- a former Green Beret -- recounted witnessing government agents in foreign countries enter homes of residents and their take valuable belongings. He would ask the residents why they didn't fight back or resist.

They responded the agents were "the only ones who have guns."

"The Second Amendment isn't just to defend our homes; it's not just to enjoy hunting," said Willis. "The Second Amendment is a check on government power. That's what the founding fathers intended it for, and that's why we need to protect it at all cost."

Blankenship said supporting gun rights is fundamental "because we have to protect our children," and that there are also attacks on the First Amendment rights that Americans must fight against.

"If we begin to take away these guaranteed human rights, we are going to be on a slippery slope toward losing more and more of them," he said. "We don't want to go down that slope, and I don't think anyone in America should.

"Guns are abundant in this country -- there are a lot of them," said Blankenship. "If we ban guns at this point … only the criminals will have guns."

Copley read aloud from a copy of the U.S. Constitution he carries in his pocket. He said that the right to bear arms was necessary to maintain a free state.

"It's one of the great rights we have," he said. "We have mental health issues we have to look into…. We have people who are looking for answers they are not going to find anywhere but with Jesus Christ. Until we can work on people's heart, I don't think we can find a proper solution."

Jenkins said he has a 100 percent voting record and an A+ rating with the National Rifle Association.

"We must not infringe our constitutional rights," he said. "The amendments in our constitution are God-given, and we must not infringe upon them."

Blankenship was asked about his role as CEO at Massey Energy when 29 miners died in an explosion at the company's Upper Big Branch Mine in 2010, and he served 14 months in a federal prison as a result.

He said he was never on trial for the explosion, but was found guilty of a misdemeanor for allowing miners to communicate to each other that inspectors were on the UBB property.

Blankenship said the U.S. EPA directed the air flow to be cut to the mine, and this caused a coal dust explosion. He suggested as a senator, he would advocate that more technology be used in the mines.

Morrisey answered a question about his involvement with pharmaceutical companies prior to becoming attorney general. He said when working as a lobbyist, he "never worked on opiate issues in the public sector." He said as attorney general, "no one has been more aggressive" in fighting the opioid crisis.

Jenkins, a former Democrat, discussed why he changed political parties. He said West Virginia, as a whole, has changed its political composition and that Blankenship had given him a $1,000 contribution when he was a Democrat.

Willis, Newbrough and Copley -- all first-time political candidates -- addressed their lack of political experience.

Willis doesn't consider himself a novice at public service after serving 18 years in the military and gaining leadership experience.

Newbrough said he would bring common sense to Washington, and that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, "needs to step down."

Copley said the election of Trump in 2016 indicated people were tired of traditional political leaders, and anxious to elect those without political experience.